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TextNow: New and Existing Customers: 1GB/Month Free Essential Data (Limited Apps)

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$5 Sim Kit Req'd for New Members
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TextNow is offering 1GB/Month Free Essential Data Plan (Limited Apps) for Free to new and current subscribers. New subscribers may order a Sim Kit for $4.99 (click the Get Sim button on the home page).

Thanks to community member ROB.E.REIN for finding this deal.

Plan Details:
  • With Free Essential Data, you can use most email, calendar, maps, notes, and rideshare apps without needing to be connected to Wi-Fi (see eligible apps on the details page)
  • TextNow app required
  • Make sure you're logged into an account with an active TextNow SIM card. If you have an active SIM in an area with cellular coverage available, you'll automatically have access to 1GB of Free Essential Data each month.
  • 350MB of data per month at regular speeds, then you'll have access to data at slightly slower speeds up to 1GB.
  • This is in additional to the free texting/calls from via the TextNow app

Additional Details:
Good Deal?

Original Post

Written by
Edited May 11, 2024 at 05:39 AM by
TextNow's New "Free Essential Data" plan provides unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data monthly for essential apps like email, maps, and rideshare. This plan is free except for a one-time $4.99 fee for the SIM card, and is supported by occasional ads. The first 350MB is at regular speeds, followed by slower speeds up to 1GB. Users can buy data passes starting at $0.99 for 300MB.

Phone IMEI check: www.textnow.com/device-checker

Coverage Map: https://www.textnow.com/check-coverage

Sign Up: www.textnow.com/signup

More info: https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us...ntial-Data
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Created 05-11-2024 at 04:37 AM by ROB.E.REIN
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Community Wiki

Last Edited by MisterDude May 11, 2024 at 08:43 PM
If you already have a TextNow SIM card but find it no longer works you may need to update your APN settings inside your smartphone. One can use the TextNow support chatbot to get the new APN settings. These settings can also be found online in their support article: https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us...er-network Once I input the new APN info data worked perfectly on older SIM and sure enough the app is showing my free essentials data because I used the app to activate the SIM several years back. Sweet deal!woot

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Featured Comments

As an experienced user of Textnow, those considering it should understand:

1) The usage requirement to keep your phone number alive and active seems to vary by area code, yet not specified to the user, although they do send out warning emails. It can vary from once every couple of weeks, to every couple of days. Once you lose your phone number, you can sign up for a new one.

2) Many, if not most of the SMS verification services will not work with Textnow numbers. I'm not going into all the details, but this is not a traditional carrier where your SIM card phone number is governed by the SIM card. In fact while there is a phone number associated to the SIM card, that number isn't usable to the customer. Instead Textnow assigns you another number, which is in effect a voice over IP number that it uses over your wifi connection, or when not present, Textnow's data connection.

3) They are notorious for suddenly cancelling your account if you have any use of a VPN on your phone. Apparently they view this as something non US users do to try to get a free Textnow account from overseas, and so cancel your account, without warning, upon detecting this.

4) The ads that are show on your phone, over time, are becoming more intrusive and more video orientated. Before, I hardly noticed the ads. Now they do bother me.

As such, I don't see this suitable for most people as their main cell number, but instead as something for a second, or backup phone, if you can accept the downsides to this service.
For those looking for onetime SMS verification, companies like SMSPool provide numbers you can rent for 24 hours or longer, that are guaranteed to work with the selected service. I needed one for a Claude Ai account initial setup and rented it for 36 cents.
So you're getting the SIM card AND 1GB of data every month, all for a 1 time $4.99 charge? Do the calls and texts use up the 1GB of data? How long will the 1GB/mo of data last for free?

I'm confused....when I go to sign up, I see nothing about an Free Essentials Plan with 1GB data/mo. Where is a link to that? In the app I downloaded, it goes straight to buying the SIM card. When do I pick the plan?

Where does it say anything about a free 1GB data/mo? Don't see that.

Edit: I found this page which explains the types of apps you can use the 1GB of data with. Apparently, it's NOT data that you can use for just anything you want to:

https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us...ntial-Data

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Joined Dec 2008
L6: Expert
> bubble2 1,940 Posts
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ZeeOhhSix
05-11-2024 at 12:42 PM.
05-11-2024 at 12:42 PM.
Quote from rshakelford :
Yeah no, something doesn't app. You're saying you bought the number for $4.99 as a one time fee or $4.99 monthly fee? that's what their website says
i'm only offered an even-worse rate of $1.99 per week to lock in.
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Joined Aug 2007
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NetAmigo
05-11-2024 at 12:45 PM.
05-11-2024 at 12:45 PM.
[QUOTE=bsam6463;170809992]I have a textnow phone number with SIM card. I am trying to use WHATSAPP with this number but Whatsapp is not able to recognize my Textnow number as a valid phone number and cannot install whatsapp. Any workaround for this?[/QUOT
WhatsApp will not install with your TextNow number. Many SMS systems will not work as well. From what I understand, many SMS systems use an abbreviated 5 digit number which will not work with a VOIP number. If they used the full phone number, it would work fine. As for WhatsApp, it did accept my MagicJack which is a VOIP number. This is all I use for a phone. I gave up my Google Voice number because I never used it.TextNow is my primary phone number. I pay annually a small fee for MagicJack so I don't worry about them cutting me off. Also, MagicJack is picky about trying to make you pay extra to call some numbers.
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COUNTY CORONER
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ROB.E.REIN
05-11-2024 at 12:47 PM.
05-11-2024 at 12:47 PM.
Quote from rshakelford :
Yeah no, something doesn't app. You're saying you bought the number for $4.99 as a one time fee or $4.99 monthly fee? that's what their website says
I've been using TextNow for a while and never paid for the SIM card. I did, however, pay for their "keep your number" promotion, which was around $10 for six months. While regular prices are high, the sale prices make more sense. I paid the $10 to keep my number and renewed for another six months. After not seeing the promotion a third time, I didn't want to pay the unreasonably high regular price, so I lost my number. If the $4.99 guy got a sale or special deal, it makes sense. Otherwise, if it's regular price, it's probably per month.
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Joined Nov 2009
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bargainspy
05-11-2024 at 12:48 PM.
05-11-2024 at 12:48 PM.
From what I've read, they will sometimes have reduced price offers inside the app for certain accounts. Same thing for their data rates. Note, I've never seen them myself. I'm currently locked in with a number I ported in to the $4.99 SIM last year and just use as a spare line.
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VioletRaccoon567
05-11-2024 at 01:08 PM.
05-11-2024 at 01:08 PM.
Quote from avalon :
are textnow's phone numbers seen as real numbers

or voip numbers that most services reject as fake?

Because I vaguely remember having a problem with their free service

ah ha see what I mean, nope, better just to get a $25/year tracfone
Where do I find $25/year Tracfone deal?
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Joined Dec 2008
L9: Master
> bubble2 5,575 Posts
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ms123
05-11-2024 at 01:21 PM.
05-11-2024 at 01:21 PM.
How do they make money. Is it Ads? What's the catch ?
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Darth Kitty Returns !
> bubble2 13,430 Posts
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avalon
05-11-2024 at 01:36 PM.

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank avalon

05-11-2024 at 01:36 PM.
Quote from VioletRaccoon567 :
Where do I find $25/year Tracfone deal?
well, two years for $40 but it's really only for people who need limited minutes or just SMS verification etc

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285030288045

https://slickdeals.net/newsearch.php?q=orbic

and yes you can stack them and yes you can move it to another phone, lots of details in old threads

I'm one of those weird people that actually likes the Orbic, boots fast and battery removable
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rshakelford
05-11-2024 at 01:37 PM.

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank rshakelford

05-11-2024 at 01:37 PM.
Quote from ms123 :
How do they make money. Is it Ads? What's the catch ?
Ads and good ol' predatory tactics, forcing you to use their number to make/receive calls and texts in order to continue receiving "free" service. After you are using that particular number then making you pay for a monthly lock-in addon (for instance) in order to not lose the particular number you've been using
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MikeAnnon
05-11-2024 at 02:24 PM.
05-11-2024 at 02:24 PM.
I've been using TN for years without significant issues. I skimmed through the questions and responses and most seem pretty accurate. Personally, I've had no problems using the # for SMS verification from several large financial institutions.
I think that the required frequency of use does depend on AC, as noted by another responder. I got one insufficient use notice from TN yrs. ago when I had not used the backup phone in over a month. Now I use it as a home WiFi phone every day. When out of the house and using the cell towers (T-Mobile), WiFi and data must still be turned on. Call quality has been very good. As to the ads: No one forces you to watch them before calling or texting as was stated by another. In fact, I can't recall what any of the recent ads were. They are not obtrusive for me. Lots of free WiFi for more data in my area, so TF could actually be my only cell service.
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ShadowRegent
05-11-2024 at 02:46 PM.
05-11-2024 at 02:46 PM.
Quote from orthros :
I second Hello Mobile. $5/month is a steal and it's great as a kids' phone plan.
If you don't mind paying for a year at a time and need a bit more data, US Mobile's light plan is $72/year ($6/mo) with taxes and fees with 1GB of data. You get your choice of Verizon or T-Mobile network with AT&T coming soon. Using it for a child's phone now and so far so good.
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What's the freq. Kenneth?
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luckygecko
05-11-2024 at 03:03 PM.
05-11-2024 at 03:03 PM.
Quote from ms123 :
How do they make money. Is it Ads? What's the catch ?

In addition to what the other user said, when an inter-LATA call terminates on a local phone company's network, that local carrier charges the long-distance provider an "access charge" or "termination charge" for completing the final leg of the call to the called party. Something on the order of $0.0007 to $0.001 per min, depending on negotiated rates. It's a tiny amount, but VoIP has low overhead for final delivery.
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What's the freq. Kenneth?
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luckygecko
05-11-2024 at 03:07 PM.

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank luckygecko

05-11-2024 at 03:07 PM.
For those looking for onetime SMS verification, companies like SMSPool provide numbers you can rent for 24 hours or longer, that are guaranteed to work with the selected service. I needed one for a Claude Ai account initial setup and rented it for 36 cents.
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twztid13
05-11-2024 at 03:23 PM.
05-11-2024 at 03:23 PM.
I had a specific number for a couple of years, & the app said i needed to send at least 1 text per month. I had lots of things signed up using that number over the years. I used it probably once each week to make sure I didn't lose the number. I went to use it 1 week & they had taken the number from me, without notification (they used to send an email & text to let me know to use it soon, or it would be replaced. That didn't happen this time).

I complained to them on Twitter, but i don't use Twitter that often. I noticed a few weeks later when i checked again that they finally responded, & asked me to contact them & they'd resolve it. I had already gave up using textnow & changed to TracFone by then, so I didn't bother. It was a hassle, so i wouldn't recommend it as a main mobile account.
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What's the freq. Kenneth?
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luckygecko
05-11-2024 at 03:47 PM.
05-11-2024 at 03:47 PM.
Quote from rshakelford :
Yeah no, something doesn't app. You're saying you bought the number for $4.99 as a one time fee or $4.99 monthly fee? that's what their website says

I noted earlier that I ported in my phone number. I checked a validation app, it shows as:


Phone Type
MOBILE
Phone Carrier
TextNow
Risk Summary


LOW RISK
The phone is not a VOIP phone number. It is operated by TEXTNOW WIRELESS - SVR

This is my ported in phone number. (The one I can also use on the Website for messaging) I've also used it for Zelle and other verifications.
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kwchan79
05-11-2024 at 04:17 PM.
05-11-2024 at 04:17 PM.
is this free $1GB/month forever? can i use it in my iPad or 5G portable router?
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